Churp Churp

Subscribe To

Gadget

Monday, August 24, 2015

Filmmakers
from Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios introduced D23 EXPO 2015
fans to an array of new stories and characters—from a lost dinosaur
to a master wayfinder, a scheming fox to a forgetful fish. The
audience of 7,500 was treated to sneak peeks, musical performances
and appearances from stars like Ellen DeGeneres, Kristen
Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Ginnifer Goodwin, Dwayne Johnson,
Randy Newman and Ty Burrell, among others.

John
Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation
Studios, led the presentations, calling on a host of filmmakers from
both studios to introduce the upcoming slate of films. “We really
have an unbelievable range of movies in production at our studios
right now,” said Lasseter. “The stories are dynamic, fresh and so
much fun; the characters new and old are so appealing. I’m excited
to share some of our long-held secrets for the first time at the D23
EXPO.”

Following
are the films presented on behalf of both studios.

THE
GOOD DINOSAUR. Anticipation for Disney·Pixar’s “The
Good Dinosaur” was amplified when director Peter Sohn and producer
Denise Ream shared breathtaking sequences with fans, including
never-before-seen footage of a trio of T-Rexes in action.

In
theaters on Nov. 25, 2015, the film introduces audiences to
Arlo, a sheltered Apatosaurus who finds himself far from home, and
Spot, Arlo’s unlikely human friend. “Arlo and Spot journey
through a world that has been greatly inspired by the American
Northwest,” said Sohn. “It is epic in scope, soul-enriching and
simultaneously beautiful and treacherous. In this world, we meet up
with a very special family of T-Rexes, who help Arlo find a way
through his personal fears and ultimately teach Arlo what he's truly
made of.”

ZOOTOPIA. International
superstar Shakira is lending her Grammy®-winning voice to Gazelle,
the biggest pop star in “Zootopia,” D23 EXPO fans learned via a
taped message from Shakira. Ginnifer Goodwin (ABC’s “Once Upon a
Time,” “Something Borrowed,” “Walk the Line”), the voice of
the film’s rookie rabbit officer Judy Hopps, saluted fans alongside
directors Byron Howard (“Tangled”) and Rich Moore (“Wreck-It
Ralph”), and producer Clark Spencer (“Wreck-It Ralph”).
Hilarious new scenes from the film were unveiled, plus a tease of the
all-new original song, “Try Everything,” written by
singer-songwriter Sia and songwriting duo Stargate, and performed by
Shakira.

Said
Howard, "For the role of Gazelle, Zootopia’s most beloved
superstar, there was only one person on our wish list: Shakira.
Luckily for us, she said yes. Her immense talent and charm bring
Gazelle and her song, ‘Try Everything,’ to life.” Walt Disney
Animation Studios’ “Zootopia” opens nationwide March 4,
2016.

FINDING
DORY. Ellen DeGeneres (“The Ellen DeGeneres Show”), the
voice of everyone’s favorite forgetful blue tang, took a dip with
D23 EXPO attendees, celebrating Disney·Pixar’s upcoming film
“Finding Dory.” Joining DeGeneres on stage this afternoon were Ed
O’Neill (“Modern Family”), who lends his voice to Hank, a
cantankerous octopus; Ty Burrell (“Modern Family”), the voice of
Bailey, a misguided beluga whale; and Kaitlin Olson (“Always Sunny
in Philadelphia”), who voices Destiny, a kind-hearted whale shark.
Oscar®-winning director Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo,”
“WALL•E”), co-director Angus MacLane and producer Lindsey
Collins (co-producer “WALL•E”) offered details about the
all-new story, which reunites Dory with friends Nemo and Marlin on a
search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her
parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?

Said
Stanton, “In ‘Finding Dory,’ we can expect to address the one
emotionally open-ended issue that remained from the first movie:
Where is Dory’s family, and will this overly-optimistic fish with
short-term memory loss ever be able to find them again? Her issue has
also given us the opportunity to travel to very different locations,
on land and sea, and meet a variety of new sea creatures that expand
the world of Nemo, Marlin and Dory.”

MOANA. Dwayne
Johnson (“San Andreas,” “Furious 7,” HBO’s “Ballers”),
who lends his voice to the mighty demi-god Maui in Walt Disney
Animation Studios’ “Moana,” hit the stage at D23 EXPO. Renowned
directors John Musker and Ron Clements ("The Little Mermaid,"
"The Princess and the Frog," "Aladdin”), and
producer Osnat Shurer (Oscar®-nominated Pixar shorts “One Man
Band,” “Boundin’") shared dazzling early test footage and
revealed plans for the film’s inspired music and the extraordinary
team behind it. Tony®-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (Broadway’s
hottest new hit “Hamilton,” Tony-winning “In the Heights”),
Grammy®-winning composer Mark Mancina (“Speed”, “Tarzan”
“The Lion King”) and Opetaia Foa’i (founder and lead singer of
the world music award-winning band Te Vaka) blend their diverse and
dynamic talents to help tell the tale of a spirited teenager who sets
out to prove herself a master wayfinder.

“Our
research took us deep into the South Pacific,” said Clements. “The
wonderful people we met there, their rich history and traditions, and
their fantastic music changed us forever.”

“We
can’t wait to bring those experiences to ‘Moana,’” added
Musker. “We are incredibly lucky to be able to work with three
amazing artists who are the absolute best at what they do. The sounds
they create will be something we’ve never heard before—but it’ll
feel like it’s been part of this world forever."

Foa’i
and his band Te Vaka capped the presentation with a show-stopping
performance illustrating the magic of the movie’s music. “Moana”
sails into U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016.

TOY
STORY 4. Pixar Animation Studios marks the 20th Anniversary
of “Toy Story” this year. Said Lasseter, "All the characters
from ‘Toy Story’—especially Woody and Buzz—are so close to
us. They seem more like family members than just creations. Not only
do we dearly love the characters, but we also love the world of ‘Toy
Story’—the world where toys come to life when people are not in
the room has always been rich with many story possibilities."

Lasseter,
who’s one of Pixar’s three founders, celebrated 20 years since
“Toy Story” transformed the animation industry and the art of
storytelling. He welcomed to the stage iconic two-time Oscar®-winning
songwriter and longtime Pixar collaborator Randy Newman, whose Pixar
credits include “Toy Story,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story
2,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Cars.”

Also
joining in the celebration were “Toy Story 4” co-director Josh
Cooley (“Cars 2,” “Ratatouille”) and producer Galyn Susman
(“Toy Story OF TERROR!”). Screenwriters Rashida Jones and Will
McCormack (“Celeste & Jesse Forever”) joined Buzz, Woody and
Bo Peep for the celebration. "I’m very proud of our films,”
said Lasseter. “When we made the first three ‘Toy Story’ films,
we didn’t realize what we had done was to change the genre of each
of the films’ story. For ‘Toy Story 4,’ we are doing a type of
story we have not done before: a love story. It’s a story about a
relationship between Woody and Bo Peep."

“Toy
Story 4,” which will be directed by Lasseter and produced by
Susman, is slated for release on June 16, 2017.

GIGANTIC. Things
are looking up at Walt Disney Animation Studios – way up.
“Gigantic,” Disney’s unique take on “Jack and the Beanstalk,”
will feature music from Oscar®-winning songwriters Kristen
Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who greeted D23 EXPO fans in
signature style—in song—alongside director Nathan Greno
(“Tangled”) and producer Dorothy McKim (“Get A Horse!”).

“I
always wanted to be part of the Disney legacy,” said Greno. “I
loved those classic stories brought to life—‘Snow White’ or
‘Cinderella’—in a way that made those films the definitive
version for generations. I want to carry on that tradition by
bringing ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ to modern audiences. We’re
taking parts of the story we all remember and adding twists and
turns, emotion and humor.”

Set
in Spain during the Age of Exploration, Disney’s “Gigantic”
follows adventure-seeker Jack as he discovers a world of giants
hidden within the clouds. He hatches a grand plan with Inma, a
60-foot-tall, 11-year-old girl, and agrees to help her find her way
home. But he doesn’t account for her super-sized personality—and
who knew giants were so down to earth? “Gigantic” hits theaters
in 2018.

COCO. Director
Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”) and producer Darla K. Anderson (“Toy
Story 3”) revealed the title of their upcoming film: Disney·Pixar’s
“Coco” is the celebration of a lifetime, where the discovery of a
generations-old mystery leads to a most extraordinary and surprising
family reunion.

"As
artists and filmmakers, we couldn't help but be drawn to the striking
visuals of Dia de los Muertos,” said Unkrich and Anderson. “But
it was the celebration's core themes of family, remembrance and
connection across generations that resonated within and truly
inspired us. Dia de los Muertos is as singular as the Mexican
culture, while at the same time completely universal in its message.

“In
our story,” they continued, “the celebration of Dia de los
Muertos serves as the perfect backdrop for our main character to ask
where he comes from, what his place is within his family, and how
families stay woven together across time through the simple act of
remembrance."

Follow
the official social media accounts of Disney and Pixar in the
Philippines, namely (FB) WaltDisneyStudiosPH, (Twitter)
@disneystudiosph and (Instagram) @waltdisneystudiosph.